Questions to Ask a Roofer in Bear, DE

The Guide

In this guide

By Home Fortress Roofing & Construction · Published November 5, 2026

A new roof is one of the bigger checks a Bear homeowner writes, and most of the risk sits in the first conversation. Ask the right questions and the wrong roofer usually shows himself before anything is signed. These are the seven we would want answered, and every one is fair to put to us too. Our roofing contractor page for Bear, DE covers the area itself.

Bear is an unincorporated community of 23,060 people, counted in the 2020 census, and much of its housing went up along US 40 in the late 1980s and 1990s. So a good first question about a Bear roof is how old it really is and whether it has been replaced before.

1. what is your Delaware Contractor registration number?

A roofer should hand it over without hesitation. Ours is Delaware Contractor Registration No. DE-2026-000015163, held by Home Fortress Construction LLC under the trade name Home Fortress Roofing & Construction. You can look it up on the Delaware contractor registry, where it read valid until 06/03/2027 on November 5, 2026.

2. will I see photos of my own roof?

You should not have to take anyone's word for what is up there. On our free inspections we photograph the roof by drone and show you the pictures. A Google reviewer, Tom Crew, wrote “Excellent drone camera photos as well.”

3. does it need a repair or a replacement, and why?

Ask for the reason, not just the verdict. If a repair will do the job, a good roofer quotes the repair. A Google reviewer, Kimberly Reagan, had us look at her roof after the storms of the year, and she wrote that we “didn’t try to sell me a whole new roof when I didn’t need one.” We found a few loose shingles and some nail pops, and took care of the quick repairs.

4. which shingle, and which package?

Get the brand, the product line and the color in writing. Our roof replacements come in three packages. Fortress Core uses Owens Corning Oakridge shingles. Fortress Shield uses Owens Corning Duration and is the one most homeowners pick. Fortress Elite uses TruDefinition Duration or Berkshire designer shingles with upgraded underlayment, hip and ridge cap, and an ice and water barrier upgrade. See the differences on our roof replacement page.

5. who backs the warranty?

Ask whether the warranty comes from the manufacturer or from the roofer, and ask to see the written terms. Our roof replacements carry a lifetime manufacturer warranty, and we give you the written terms for the system you choose.

6. if it is storm damage, will you meet my adjuster?

The first answer should be whether the damage is storm damage or ordinary wear. If it is a real claim, we meet the adjuster at your house and go through the insurer's scope of loss line by line before any work starts. A Google reviewer, D. Doug, wrote that we handled “the complex insurance process from start to finish.” Our Delaware roof insurance claim guide walks through the steps.

7. who keeps me posted, and what does cleanup look like?

Ask who you can reach during the install and what the property looks like when the crew leaves. A Google reviewer, Chris West, wrote that our team “kept me in constant communication about next steps.” We clean up the property when the job is done.

Quick Rule of Thumb: If a roofer cannot give you a registration number, will not show you photos, or only ever quotes a full replacement, keep calling.

A Home Fortress Roofing & Construction truck parked in a Delaware neighborhood. Photo: owner-uploaded to our Google Business Profile.

Where to start

If you are getting quotes in Bear, start with a free inspection. We fly the drone, show you the photos and tell you plainly whether you need a repair, a replacement or nothing yet. Inspections and estimates are free, and financing is available; ask about it at the inspection, or call (302) 314-1025. Permits for work in Bear go through the New Castle County Department of Land Use, so ask every roofer you talk to who pulls the permit.

Sources, read November 5, 2026: Delaware contractor registry, Certificate No. DE-2026-000015163; US Census Bureau 2020 population for Bear; our roof replacement page for the package details. Quoted reviews are Google reviews, word for word.